Pedal-control mechanism for motor-vehicles.



A. W. MEDHURST.

PEDAL CONTROL MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1914.

I l ,201 A87. Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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W WM JZLWW I41 TTORIVEKS A. W. MEDHURST.

PEDAL CONTROL MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1914.

1,201,487. Patented 0ct.17,1916.

a suns-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/V TOR Arm/ms A. W. MEDHURST.

PEDAL CONTROL MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. AiPLICATlON HLED JUNE l, 1914.

1391,48? Patented Oct. 17,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. MEDHURST, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON ELECTRIC OAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed June 1, 1914. Serial No. 842,305.

To all whom alt-may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. MED- HURST, a subject of the King of Great Britam and Ireland, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Control Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to brake mechanism for motor vehicles andhas for its particular object the obtaining 'tof a construction in which the brakes maybe operated alternatively from different positions in the vehicle.

It is a further object to obtain a construction in which interference is prevented; further to provide an'interlocking mechanism between the brake control and motor control; and still further, to obtain a convenient arrangement of the parts so as to avoid obstruction in the car.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the levermechanism; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the mechanism for alternatively locking the pedals. 7

A is the vehicle frame, B the dash, C the inclined toe-board adjacentto the dash and 'D' and D pedals extending through said toe-board and controlling respectively the service and emergency brake mechanisms. E is a mast upon which are mounted the steering lever F and'motor-control lever Gr used by the operator when in the forward seat of the vehicle, and E F and G are corresponding parts of a duplicate control mechanism operable from the rearseat of the vehicle.

-To provide a brake-control when the vehicle is driven from the rear seat a second pair of pedals D and D are arranged in the proper position and are connected to the respective brake mechanisms. It is desira-v ble to locate these pedals so as to'avoid obstruction in the car, and this I have accomplished b associating them with a stand or pedestal which supports the forward seat. This stand is formed with an inclined portion H forming a second toe-board whlch is slotted for the passage of the pedals therethrough. The arrangement is also such that when the pedals D and D are not in use be inoperative.

they may be depressed into recesses in the toe-board so as to avoid obstructing the floor space of the car, and the same is true of the forward pedals D and D.

The duplicate pedals are connected to each other and to the brake mechanism. in such a manner that the brakes may be controlled alternatively by either pedal, but when one pedal is-in control the other will This is preferably accompllshed by mechanism of the following construction: I is a shaft mounted on the frame upon which the rear pedals D and D are fulcrumed. These pedals are provided with upwardly-extending bell-crank arms J and J and adjacent to these and fulcr'umed upon the same shaft I are rock-arms J 2 and J K is a laterally slidable locking plate mounted upon the frame and notched to alternatively engage the bell-crank arms J and J of the pedals D and D and rock-arms J 2 and J L and L are rods respectively connecting the pedals Dand D with the rock-arms J 2 and J ,M and M are even levers respectively connecting the rock arms J J and J J through the medium of jointed links M and N N are rods respec tively centrally connected with the evenlevers M and M and constituting the pullrods for the brake mechanism. The arrangement just described is such that either the forward or the rear pedals may be locked in stationary position by suitable adjustment of the locking plate K, and when one set of pedals are thus locked the actuation of the other pedals will cause the pulling of the rods N and N andthe actuation of the brakes thereby. Thuswhere the rear pedals are locked by engagement of the plate K with the bell-crank arms J and J the actuation of the forward pedal D will cause the rocking of the even-lever M and the pulling of the rod N, while the actuation of the pedal D will cause the rocking ofv the even-lever M and pulling of the rod N. In the same manner if the plate K is adjusted to lock the rock-arms J 2 and J this will hold said arms from movement and also will hold the forward pedals D and D in a depressed position in the toe-board C, while the rear pedals D and D will be free for operation to rock the even-levers M and M". The effect on the brakes will be the same whichever pedals are used, but only one set can be used at the same time.

For shifting the locking plate K an operating lever is provided which is preferably mounted upon the stand H, and this lever O is secured to a vertical rock-shaft O which at its lower end is connected to a crank-arm 0 which in turn is connected by a link 0 with abell-crank lever 0 having one arm connected to the plate K; By adjustment of this lever O the'plate K may be shifted and thus either set of pedals may be locked or freed at will.

The pull-rods N and N are connected to the brakes through any suitable intermediate mechanism, but, as shown, they are attached to rock-arms P andP on rock-shafts P andP which are telescopically engaged and 'pivotally mounted upon the frame. These rock-shafts in turn are provided with rock-arms P and P which lead to the brake mechanism (not shown), while the rockshaft P is provided with an arm Q having a ratchet segment Q engaged by a springpressed dog Q Thus whenever the emergency brake is set, the engagement of the dog Q with the ratchet segment Q will hold the brake in set position, but this will not interfere with the shifting of the pedals by adjustment of the locking plate K and consequently if the operator wishes to change his position of control from forward to rear or vice versa, he can do so withoutreleasing the brakes.

For effecting release of the ratchet segment Q from the dogQ the operative control lever G or G is employed in conjunction with the operative emergency foot pedal. The control levers G and G respec-- tively are arranged to actuate rock arms R and R below the masts. Said rock arms are connected by a rod B so as to swing always in unison. From one of said arms a rod R extends rearwardl'y to a rock arm Q for operating the control switch, (not shown). in one position of the rock arm Q said arm bears against a spring arm Q3 which is connected with the dog Q and is adapted to exert suflicient tension thereupon to withdraw the same from said segment whenever a slight pressure is placed upon the operative emergency pedal lever, thereby releasng the brakes from their set position.

I claim:

1. A vehicle control mechanism, comprising a front and a rear pedal, a connection between the pedals established through an evener lever, a draw-rod connecting wlth the evener lever to transmit the control from jacent to the rear pedal, a draw-rod connecting the front pedal with said rock arm, a connection between the rear pedal and said rock arm, established through an evener lever, a draw-rod connecting with the evener lever to transmit the control from either pedal,' and a locking slide for establishing either extremity of the evener lever as a fulcrum, the draw-rod being actuable from the respective pedals, according as the extremc ities of the evener lever respectively form fulcrums.

3. A vehicle control mechanism comprising a front and a rear pedal, a connection between the pedals established through an evener lever, a draw-rod connecting with the evener lever, a brake mechanism actuable through said draw-rod, means for locking the brake mechanism, and means for establishing either extremity of the evener lever as a fulcrum, the brake mechanism being actuable by the respective pedals, according as'the extremities of the evener lever respectively form fulcrums.

4. A vehicle control mechanism, comprising duplicate pedals, a mechanism alternatively operable from said pedals, a connection transmitting control to said mechanism from the pedals, and a locking mechanism associated with said connection, adjustable to alternatively render one of the pedals operable and the other inoperative.

5. A vehicle control mechanism, comprising duplicate pairs of pedals, each pair formed of a front and a rear pedal, mechanisms respectively alternatively actuable by the pedals of the respective pairs, an evener conneiition between the pedals of eachpair and the mechanism controlled thereby, and a locking means adjustable to alternatively affect the front or the rear pedals. 6. A vehicle control mechanism, comprising duplicate pairs of pedals, each pair formed by a front and a rear pedal, mechanisms respectively alternatively operable by the pedals of the respective pairs, a connection between the pedals of each pair including a draw-rod and an evener lever, a drawrod connecting with each evener lever and transmitting control from either of the pedals connected through said lever to the mechanism operable from said pedals, and a locking means, adjustable to affect either both front or both rear pedals. 7 A vehicle control mechanism, comprising duplicate pairs of pedals, each pair formed by a front and a rear pedal, an evener connection between the pedals of each pair including a rock arm, the two rock arms having a common axis, and a locking slide engaging the rock arms in one limiting posihaving control when the rear ones are locked,

evener connection between the pedals of each pair including a rock arm, and a looking member formed with two pairs of slots, one pair respectively engaging the two rock arms in one limiting position of the member, and the other pair respectively engag ing the rear pedals in the other limiting,

position of said member, the front pedals alternatively controlledby said pedals, a

control transmission connection between the pedals and the mechanism actuable therefrom, an adjustable locking member associated with said connection for limiting control to either pedal, according to the limiting position in which it is adjusted, and means for-actuating the locking member between its limiting positions.

11. In a motor vehicle control mechanism,

duplicate pedals, and a toe-board for the 1 rear pedal formed on the stand of the seat for the forward pedal.

12. In a motor vehicle control mechanism, duplicate pedals for controlling the same mechanism, a stand for the seat adjacent to the forward pedal forming a toe-board for the rear pedal, means for alternatively look- 'ing said pedals, and an actuating member for said locking means mounted on said seat stand.

board for the rear pedal, means for alternatively'locking said pedals, a lever mounted on said seat stand, and a connection between said lever and said locking mechanism.

14:. In a motor vehicle control mechanism,

, duplicate forward and rear pedals, recessed toe-boards for said pedals, and a connec-v tion between said pedals permitting of the depression and locking of one of said pedals inthe recess of its toe-board when the other pedal is'in operative position.

15. In a motor vehicle control mechanism, duplicate forward and rear pedals, recessed toe-boards adjacent thereto, a connection between said pedals permitting the alternative adjustment of the same from a position for operation into a position depressed into the recess of said toe-board, means for locking the depressed pedal, and mechanism to be controlled operable by the other pedal.

16. A'vehicle control mechanism, comprising duplicate pedals, transmission mechanisms respectively connected to said pedals, a part common to the two transmission mechanisms, a mechanismactuable through said part by the two pedals alternatively, and a locking member respectively engaging the two transmission mechanisms in their limiting positions.

- In' testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR W. MEDHURST.

Witnesses: JAMES PKBARRY, PHILLIB COBURN. 

